Why?
Why?
Why did you move to Spain? Has it lived up to expectations, especially those with young children? p.s keeping to the thread would be appreciated.
- spanish_lad
- Andalucia Guru
- Posts: 6218
- Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
- Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022
So difficult
I now understand where some of your prvious posts are coming from! Strange that at 17 you were made to move to Spain.
Dear Spanish Lad,
Your situation and opinion, valid as it is, is well documented on this forum, could you tell us:- Has the dream faded for your parents too? or are they making a go of it? I understand your situation and it must be difficult!
I hope this is not thread drift but the question is relevant to the initial thread question
thanks
El Al
Your situation and opinion, valid as it is, is well documented on this forum, could you tell us:- Has the dream faded for your parents too? or are they making a go of it? I understand your situation and it must be difficult!
I hope this is not thread drift but the question is relevant to the initial thread question
thanks
El Al
Happy with the lads reply
Personally, I am happy with the lads reply. I would expect the parents move not to be a wholly happy one as they had someone that just didn't want to go with them on board. I think it was totally irresponsible and inconsiderate for a 17 year old to be moved in such a way. My children are 11 and 9 and even at that age I am seriously considering whether it will be right for them. Saying that both are looking forwards to moving so there is a big difference.
Yes...:lol:especially for young children...I have yet to here one complain...but its definitely best to move before they are teenagers..this is a difficult time in any child's life..this gives then time to learn the language before going to university or training collages...as jobs for those without degrees are few and far between.Has it lived up to expectations
Where it lives up to your expectations will depend on what you personally expect.
What do you expect
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
What I expect
I want our family to spend more time together and not rush around.
I want to learn Spanish and be able to feel as if I can contribute to the community where we decide to live.
I want to know my neighbours.
I want to be able to take my family out to the center of town/village at 11pm without feeling threatened.
I/We want a new challenge.
I/We want to try and start a new business working for ourselves.
I/We want more of an outdoor life without having to don the usual 10 layers of clothing.
I don't want my children growing up in a country where there is no respect for anyone or thing.
I don't want Welsh/English TV, don't really want any tv at all.
I don't want to live in a predominantly ex pat community.
The list could go on but these will do for now.
Yes I know my reasons will appear a bit naive to some, and many will be ready to proffer their opinions about how difficult it will be, nowhere is perfect and all that, but we are prepared to work hard and learn along the way. We know that it will not be easy to settle into a new country, and that we will be treated with a fair dose of suspicion. We have broad shoulders. Our children are keen to move and have already picked up some very basic Spanish.
We have enough worldly experience between all four of us to make a good go at starting a different life. If things don't work out we will be even more experienced and probably better for it.
I want to learn Spanish and be able to feel as if I can contribute to the community where we decide to live.
I want to know my neighbours.
I want to be able to take my family out to the center of town/village at 11pm without feeling threatened.
I/We want a new challenge.
I/We want to try and start a new business working for ourselves.
I/We want more of an outdoor life without having to don the usual 10 layers of clothing.
I don't want my children growing up in a country where there is no respect for anyone or thing.
I don't want Welsh/English TV, don't really want any tv at all.
I don't want to live in a predominantly ex pat community.
The list could go on but these will do for now.
Yes I know my reasons will appear a bit naive to some, and many will be ready to proffer their opinions about how difficult it will be, nowhere is perfect and all that, but we are prepared to work hard and learn along the way. We know that it will not be easy to settle into a new country, and that we will be treated with a fair dose of suspicion. We have broad shoulders. Our children are keen to move and have already picked up some very basic Spanish.
We have enough worldly experience between all four of us to make a good go at starting a different life. If things don't work out we will be even more experienced and probably better for it.
We came to escape a UK that was increasingly forcing us into a live-to-work existence. I also wanted to be able to spend more time with my children. So far, it has surpassed all our expectations, except for the fact that we're still house-hunting after more than a year.
By the way, I personally don't think that it's necessarily irresponsible to bring a reluctant 17 year-old to Spain. Who knows what the alternatives were for that particular family and what the future might have held for Spanish Lad if he'd stayed in the UK? Yes, it can be harder for adolescents to make such a move but this isn't always the case. Unless we know the individual circumstances, who are we to accuse his parents of not having his best interests at heart?
I, for one, shudder to think how my life would have turned out if my parents hadn't taken some "executive decisions" in my teens.
Best of luck. Really hope Spain is everything you're looking for.
Kelly
By the way, I personally don't think that it's necessarily irresponsible to bring a reluctant 17 year-old to Spain. Who knows what the alternatives were for that particular family and what the future might have held for Spanish Lad if he'd stayed in the UK? Yes, it can be harder for adolescents to make such a move but this isn't always the case. Unless we know the individual circumstances, who are we to accuse his parents of not having his best interests at heart?
I, for one, shudder to think how my life would have turned out if my parents hadn't taken some "executive decisions" in my teens.
Best of luck. Really hope Spain is everything you're looking for.
Kelly
My wife and I live on the outskirts of Alhaurin el Grande and in an all spanish area so no hablo english a lot. This is fine as it encourages us out of necessity to speak spanish which I now do to a certain extent. However, looking for the perfect dream is all well and good but when all is said it is nice to hear your mother tounge. The rest is up to you, in our area you can be as British as you like or as spanish as you like, you have a choice.
It sounds like the four of you are well ready to dip your toes in the Spanish way of life.
Good luck to you all and I hope you will be as happy as we are.
It sounds like the four of you are well ready to dip your toes in the Spanish way of life.
Good luck to you all and I hope you will be as happy as we are.
Keddyboy
Never do today what you can leave until tomorrow.
Never do today what you can leave until tomorrow.
I agree with Kelly. As a parent sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Sometimes it's very difficult to make them, especially when there is opposition, but you just desperately hope you are doing the right thing.
We moved here 2 years ago with 3 teenagers aged 13, 15,and 16. The eldest really wanted to come, the youngest wasn't too keen, but didn't mind too much, but the 15 year old was really, really, against the idea. he was just starting to hang around on street corners with his mates and he just loved the life he was leading.
As it turned out the one who most wanted to come, found it hardest to settle, and for a while wanted to leave school and return to the UK. However, she got past that. She has just now returned to England for University, but has said that she's very pleased that she had this couple of years in Spain. Both of the boys think its's great here. The one who didn't want to come has a fantastic social life and much more freedom than he would have had in England.
The main drawback that I have found is that as two of them were involved in the UK exam system, they really needed to go to an international school in order to continue with this. In our case, this has meant that they haven't learned the language as well as we would have liked. This means that they will all return to the Uk to persue their careers, leaving poor mother behind. (If anyone knows how a teenager, with only basic Spanish, can learn carpentry here, please let me know).
What I am trying to say, after a few glasses too many, is that they are all pleased that we came to Spain, and feel they have benefited from it.
We moved here 2 years ago with 3 teenagers aged 13, 15,and 16. The eldest really wanted to come, the youngest wasn't too keen, but didn't mind too much, but the 15 year old was really, really, against the idea. he was just starting to hang around on street corners with his mates and he just loved the life he was leading.
As it turned out the one who most wanted to come, found it hardest to settle, and for a while wanted to leave school and return to the UK. However, she got past that. She has just now returned to England for University, but has said that she's very pleased that she had this couple of years in Spain. Both of the boys think its's great here. The one who didn't want to come has a fantastic social life and much more freedom than he would have had in England.
The main drawback that I have found is that as two of them were involved in the UK exam system, they really needed to go to an international school in order to continue with this. In our case, this has meant that they haven't learned the language as well as we would have liked. This means that they will all return to the Uk to persue their careers, leaving poor mother behind. (If anyone knows how a teenager, with only basic Spanish, can learn carpentry here, please let me know).
What I am trying to say, after a few glasses too many, is that they are all pleased that we came to Spain, and feel they have benefited from it.
Some great answers and PM's
Thank you for the replies and in particular some of the PM's.
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